


If You Asked Miss Ritchi

by Cajunhusker



Category: Megamind (2010)
Genre: 5 Things, 5+1 Things, Alternate Title: Five Things Miss Ritchi Realized About Megamind and One She Realized About Herself, Cute, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship, Megamind is underestimated in almost everyway, Post canon, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, friendships, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23547058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cajunhusker/pseuds/Cajunhusker
Summary: If you asked most people about what they thought about Megamind, they’d say he was evil but an idiot.If you asked Megamind, he’d tell you he was the most brilliant man in the world and going to win soon. He just needed the right moment.If you asked Metro Men, he’d tell you Megamind was probably right. Though, he wouldn’t tell you that in public.If you asked Roxanne Ritchie, she’d tell you he was a careful man. Misguided brilliance at his best. Loyal. Bored.And perhaps lonely.Not that that was an excuse, of course. But Megamind wasn’t evil per se.
Relationships: Megamind & Minion, Megamind & Roxanne Ritchi, Megamind/Roxanne Ritchi, Metro Man & Roxanne Ritchi, Minion & Roxanne Ritchi
Comments: 135
Kudos: 454





	1. 1. Careful

The first thing Roxanne had learned about Megamind was that he was careful.

Before she had ever been kidnapped, she was still a reporter. She followed them, and she had managed an awkward friendship with Metro Man from interviews and trying to respect him as a person. Giving him the respect he would give anyone else so he wasn’t just a superhero.

It was enough that she was assigned to work on covering him for the news. Usually, this meant following up with his good deeds or being there for grand gestures. Lately, she had pushed to documenting his fights with Megamind. It meant that she got to wear more comfortable shoes, and she stayed in shape, so she wasn’t exactly going to complain about her shifting expectations.

Which was how she found herself outside, camera in hand, taking pictures of their current fight. She had had to climb up a fire escape to get a good view of the two of them, perched as high as she could get on the building across from their fight.

It was the closest she had ever been to Megamind. So it was the first time she saw that she was more than just his apparently big head. His strength couldn’t be that much less than Wayne’s with the way he was keeping. Her eyes were wide, but she couldn’t just stop taking pictures. 

She carefully zoomed in on Megamind. Which was how she saw the way he twisted, aiming his de-gun in a way that wouldn’t actually… hit anything but Metro Man.   
The way his face contorted while he apparently thought through the angles, it was on purpose. He was bouncing the shot off of… Something. She couldn’t see it, but she could see the way it was aimed instead of shooting straight like he could have. But if he missed the straight shot, he’d hit an apartment complex. She’d seen him look before adjusting his aim, jumping away the moment after he shot.

Careful.

She had wondered if it was a fluke, but she got the picture perfectly time, the way he shot even with his arch enemy approaching in the background. If he missed, it would only go into the sky, hitting a bird at most.

Careful enough to avoid hitting an apartment building that likely meant nothing to either of them.

She’d look at that picture later, making sure she was seeing it right. Megamind had been hauled off to prison yet again, and she was looking at a picture that she had been more than lucky to get.

Roxanne’s thoughts were confirmed when she was kidnapped for the first time a few weeks later. The knockout gas had been effective despite trying to kick at the thing that grabbed her, shocked at the sight of a fish in a mechanical suit.

She woke up tied to a chair, eyes wide as the bag was yanked off her head. Her heart was pounding as she saw Megamind turn around to look at her. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she amazingly had both of her shoes despite the fact that this was one of her few days wearing heels lately. At least she was wearing pants…

What she didn’t expect was to see Megamind, settled into a big chair and flipping through her pictures on her camera. “Excuse you! That’s not yours!” she snapped before she could think too clearly.

Megamind’s big head popped up and he grinned slightly, getting to his feet to draw near to her, camera still in hand. “Villain,” he retorted. “You take surprisingly good pictures for someone that was supposed to be focusing on Metro Mahn, Miss Ritchi. I didn’t expect any of his friends to have any bravery.”

Roxanne blinked at the compliment, and at calling her Miss Ritchi before huffing in annoyance as she looked him over. “I am a reporter. It’s my job,” she shot back, during her best to keep her voice steady despite the fear. Megamind wasn’t known for being stable.

“Many people run from fighting, no matter what their job. Even those that are supposed to protect you,” Megamind had laughed, turning away from her. “We’ll see if your boyfriend in tights is one of them that runs or not. He won’t succeed, I assure you.”

Which was when she finally screamed, hoping that Wayne heard her. It was one of the few times she would ever scream in his presence. She only had a few moments to notice the way his eyes snapped to the fish in the suit like he was worried he’d done something wrong. Had he not meant to hurt her? He had… sounded like he did.

She wasn’t left to think about it long because Wayne arrive a minute later. With her still strapped to the chair. She sighed in shaky relief as she saw her friend, only to feel herself yanked away from the fighting. “Let go!” she snapped, trying to squirm in her bonds as she looked up to see the fish again.

“Miss Ritchi, I am merely moving you away from the fighting,” the fish said calmly, glancing down at her. “Sir would be annoyed if you got hurt. He just wante-“

“Minion! Don’t you start telling her my plans! Who’s side are you on?” Megamind snapped as he tossed Minion the camera before rolling away from Wayne.

Roxanne gasped as her camera sailed through the air. She’s spent good money on that! More money than she currently had to replace it! She couldn’t let it get broken… But Minion caught it. She glanced up at the fish and then back at Megamind, eyes wide.

He… hadn’t broken her camera.

It wasn’t until she got home that night, shaken and out of breath, that she realized there wasn’t a scratch on her. Her camera was in one piece. She still had both of her shoes. Even her wrists didn’t hurt…

“I’m fine, Wayne. I think,” she said quietly, putting the camera strap around her neck shakily. She glanced up at the superhero for a moment before nodding. She was alright. Everything was alright. Besides being kidnapped, she was perfectly fine. “Thank you.”

He hadn’t done her any actual harm, and he’d made sure his minion knew to get her out of the way. She had never seen such thought put into something by any of the other villains that attacked Metro City or Wayne.

She kept that picture for a long time after that, a reminder that Megamind didn’t seem to want to hurt her. Or even the city. He wanted to win, and he might truly still be evil, but his goals seemed to be set, even if she wasn’t certain what they were. General destruction didn’t seem to be it though. He cared about something far too much. Enough to return her in the condition he found her, with nothing missing and very rarely even a scratch.

Careful was a good word for Megamind. Even when he didn’t win…


	2. Absolutely Brilliant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard to be a super villain with out being a genius, but if you asked Miss Ritchi, it was the genius that went unnoticed that was most impressive.

Everyone knew Megamind was genius to some level, though not as much as she did.

She’d seen it a bit before. The way he calculated in the middle of a battle. How his plans just barely clicked and relied on science well beyond most people’s understanding. Well beyond her understanding, certainly. She had done her own research on a few occasions after a scheme, trying to understand what all he had told her.

What had baffled her though… What had baffled was a day that hadn’t meant to involve him at all. And apparently hadn’t meant to involve her.

She had gone out for a walk, cup of coffee in hand from where she’d stopped that morning, enjoying some uncharacteristically nice weather for March. The sun was shining, and she only needed a light jacket. So she had decided to wander the city because it was her day off and she couldn’t resist. There were very few days for her lately that didn’t involve work or Megamind or Metroman or Hal. She refused to let it slip by.

She had started to turn a corner when she heard what was becoming a very familiar voice, though not for lack of trying otherwise. What she didn’t expect was to see Megamind as she slowed at the corner of a building, in tight black jeans and a dark blue shirt. That she was fairly certain had a zipper up the back, but she didn’t get a good look as she backed up quickly so that she could listen. She’d never seen him outside of his supervillain suit… Or in public for that matter. She wasn’t even aware he was out of prison yet.

“Metrocity is mine, as I have made increedibly clear,” she could hear Megamind snapping at whoever he had pressed up against the wall. Maybe his mispronunciation was just part of who he was rather than something he did to throw people off. Hm… “None of you have any right to mess up said city without my permission.”

He controlled crime in the city? It made her lean slightly against the building as she tried to think through just what that meant. “It was just a little burglary,” the stranger tries to shrug off. “And you were in jail. Can’t do shit when you ain’t arou-“ A thud sounds against the wall, causing her to peak around, seeing Megamind’s arm pressed against the other’s throat. He must have shoved him against the wall from the looks of it.

“What part of mine wasn’t clear? You go through Minion when I’m not here,” Megamind snapped. “And certain parts of town are off limits for certain crimes. I’ve made that clear. Time. And. Time. Again.”

It was the angriest she’d ever heard him. He didn’t seem to get properly angry, not even when his schemes went… wrong. The most he did was get annoyed, but not in a way that suggested anything darker underneath. This… This made her feel like she was going to actually hurt the man. Not that she was sure she should intervene. A burglary wasn’t a little thing.

She been too caught up in her thoughts to actually catch everything he said, their voices low to not attract people on the streets. He obviously didn’t want most people to know about him. “Next time. Consider anything with more than two people involved my business,” Megamind hissed, leaning in close to the criminal he had pinned against the wall. “You tell me. Or you tell Minion. And you do not go through with violent crimes. Without. Permission. Understand?”

“Fine! Fine, I get it, man. It’s your city,” the criminal muttered, trying to lean back further against the wall, away from Megamind.

Megamind held him there a minute longer, glaring at him before nodding slightly. “Next time, I’ll do a lot worse than possibly dehydrate you,” he growled before letting the man go. The criminal fled, nearly crashing into her and causing her to fumble what little was left of her coffee before she had time to react. It splattered on the ground, hitting her shoes.

Which, of course, he had to hear. She could hear him cursing as she quickly stepped back to run. Megamind might not hurt her, but she obviously wasn’t supposed to see that! She barely made it another step before she was pulled into the alley, Megamind looking down at her with wide eyes.

“Miss Ritchi, are you following me?” he asked carefully, as if he was controlling his tone. Like he might still be pissed about what she had just witnessed. Which almost scared her more.

She had to take a moment to find her words as she pulled her elbow away from him, lips forming a firm line as she steeled herself for whatever was going to come from this. “No. I was out for a walk on an incredibly nice day. You just happened to be threatening people in broad daylight,” she shot back, raising her chin slightly. Even if he was just threatening criminals.

Megamind sighed, seeming to debate what to do with her. She hoped he was just as impressed with her bravery like he had been the first time. “If I had wanted to cause a scene, Miss Ritchi, I would have. But that was not the point of today. And I cannot have you ruining that,” he continued, seeming to pick his words with care. Like he was trying to make sure he didn’t say just quite the wrong thing.

“Ruining you threatening criminals about your turf? I wasn’t aware you were so protective of Metro City,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. She could feel her heart pounding despite the way she glared at him.

“Of course I’m protective! Metrocity is mine! I have told you that on a number of occasions,” he snapped. Which was when it clicked that he didn’t say that just for show. Or as a threat. He actually thought it was his. And this was his way of…

“You protect it too, don’t you? In your own way,” she murmured, her façade collapsing a bit.

His eyes went wide before he quickly stepped closer to her, not looking near as threatening without all of his spikes on. Though she could now see his de-gun at his hip. “I do not protect Metrocity. I control it. Certain things run through me or Minion. Things your boyfriend can never hope to control. And these are things that you do not need to get involved in. Understand?” he said quickly, voice low. It didn’t care the same threat as it had with criminal, but she could hear it. Could hear some standard he held him too that he didn’t tell others about besides maybe Minion.

“I have no interest in your criminal enterprises, Megamind. I just didn’t realize you cared,” she teased lightly, relaxing slightly. So the criminal empire ran through him. Maybe. At least partially. She’d… have to look into that.

Megamind huffed at her in annoyance. “I care about what belongs to me. But if there is a story about this, I will know who’s fault it is,” he warned, raising a finger instead of his gun at her. A threat. But not, she thought, the kind that would end in her being dehydrated. Though she wasn’t sure what it would end in.

She could feel herself settle a bit as she somewhat understood where she fit into his scheme of things. “Make up for the fact that you spilled my coffee and I suppose I can keep it a secret for now,” she offered after a moment of thought, tone a bit lighter.

His eyes widened a bit before laughter seemed to bubble out of him. Not his normal, maniacal laughter, but a true laugh, if a bit surprised. A pleasant sound, if you asked her. “I did not personally spill your coffee,” he said as he reached into his pocket to dig out something. His hand reappeared with a five-dollar bill. “Enjoy your nice day, Miss Ritchi. I will hold you to not leaking this to anyone.”

She couldn’t help the shock that crossed her face as she saw the bill, carefully taking it from him. “I suppose,” she said after a moment. She hadn’t expected him to actually pay her. But… Well, she couldn’t just say no. Not when he appeared mostly serious.

He nodded slightly and made a shooing motion. “That’s enough about this. Keep your theories to yourself about this,” he said.

She wanted to ask how he was going to leave without being caught, but she supposed he had made it in here. And she might be pushing it too far if she asked too many questioned in one day. Or had too many realizations. “We’ll see,” she answered before lightly carefully ducking out of the alleyway. 

Maybe she could ask Wayne about it next time she saw him… He wouldn’t go around talking about it if she did. Talk about a man that could keep a secret, if nothing else. She did manage to go about the rest of her day though, with a new cup of coffee to boot. Her head wasn’t quite in the same place though as she tried to puzzle together just what all of this meant.

She had to wait several days until she could talk to Wayne though, leaving her to pace her apartment when she wasn’t at work. Of course, this would be the one time he actually made her wait! Not that she could blame him, it wasn’t urgent. But still.

She waited on her balcony when Wayne said he finally had time, leaving a mug of hot chocolate out for him as she sipped at her own, thinking through just what Megamind being in charge of something meant. That would take more work than she could imagine to control criminal rings. Metro City had never been crime free, they were a big city after all. Big enough for a high-grade superhero.

She glanced up as she heard him land, smiling slightly in greeting. Their conversation fell into a familiar rhythm while Wayne found a comfortable spot. How his family was doing, if Hal had taken the hint that she wasn’t interested yet, if he had missed anything important today, if she had missed anything important today. Gossip at its finest, truly, with a superhero and a reporter. There was probably very few people who knew more about the going ons of the city than they did combined.   
Which made it easy enough to bring up Megamind.

“Is it true that Megamind controls the crime in this city?” she slipped in, taking a sip of her hot chocolate, trying to sound casual. He’d get protective if he found out why she was asking… Which was sweet, but she didn’t need it. Her and Megamind had enough of an understanding of sorts.

It was one of the few times she heard him stumble to a stop, looking at her in shock. Oh. That was interesting. “Rox… Where did you hear that?” he asked, looking at her closely. And avoiding her question.

She glanced up, shifting her weight. “Around. I’ve been trying to piece together how much of it is true,” she answered, deciding a lie wasn’t going to help.

Wayne carefully put his mug down and stepped closer to her, his normal smile and easy-going nature having disappeared. “You need to be very careful who you question about that. He’s. I don’t know how far it extends. How much he controls. But anything high level seems to go through him,” he explained, waving a hand slightly as if to encompass all the upper levels of the Metro City criminal empire. She opened her mouth to respond only for him to raise a hand before carefully resting it on her should, reminding her just how much space he took up with the way his hand covered her shoulder. “Please, Rox. Don’t follow this train of thought. I let it go on because it keeps things easier for everyone else… But his control isn’t a joke. He has access to the worst of society in that prison. It extends outside. If you push too hard, you could get hurt.”

Roxanne frowned, glancing up at him, before nodding slightly. She hadn’t realized that others knew about it all, or that Wayne let it go on. That it almost made the city safer in some ways. She took a deep breath, nodding again. “I’ll keep it to myself. I didn’t realize…” she trailed off. Even after catching Megamind, she didn’t understand how far this extended. Or why he had offered her coffee for her silence. He might have offered a lot more. “Thank you for telling me.”

The grin of relief that spread across the superhero’s face was a shock and she was more surprised when she was pulled into a careful but firm hug. “Wouldn’t want you getting hurt,” he murmured before stepping away towards his hot chocolate again. Which was incredibly sweet of him.

Their conversation eventually went back into their normal tone, but she could see the way Wayne watched her, obviously worried she would push this too far. She couldn’t blame him, he knew she loved a good story. Even better if it was a bit of mystery. She could let this one rest for the most part.

They stayed out on the balcony a while longer, enjoying the nice night and the end of their drinks. But her mind continued to work, keeping her up as she carefully charted out what she knew about Metro City’s criminal population on the wall. When it ended up looking more like a web, she had to step back. The planning that had to go into this… And this was just what she knew of, since she was never welcomed in criminal circles. Not with friends like Wayne.

She ran a hand through her hair, looking it over as she processed this. The thought behind such an empire. An empire Megamind apparently ran with just Minion. From prison more often than not! She could barely fathom how such a thing was possible when he went around trying to take over the city every other week with new inventions.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's chapter 2! Much longer than Chapter 1, much to my surprise. I'm gonna update every three or four days, so keep an out. Please let me know what you think, I love hearing from you!


	3. 3. Boredom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What genius isn't bored sometimes?

Bored was the easiest. How could someone that brilliant not be bored?

She had assumed it was a given that Megamind got bored, and she didn’t envy Minion for having to put up with it. Minion was growing on her the more the she was kidnapped, realizing he was probably the steadying force behind Megamind’s energy. They were an interesting team, to say the least.

Her heart still pounded when she was kidnapped, though she was almost completely certain Megamind would never hurt her. Minion made sure of that if he didn’t. This didn’t stop the fear that bubbled up each time, but it seemed to be a little less.

It was how she found herself spending a Tuesday staring down a laser, sighing loudly. “Megamind, you’ve done this one before. You’ve got to get new tech if you want me to scream,” she said, doing her best to relax into the chair she was tied to yet again. She’d never known him to repeat tech. Was he feeling alright?

What was particularly confusing was Minion out of his sight waving his hand at her for her to cut it out. What? She glanced at him and then at Megamind, eyebrows knitting together as the supervillain turned around to look at her. He looked… She wasn’t sure, actually. She’d seen him mid scheme and thoroughly enjoying himself, absolutely livid in the alley that one time, and even generally friendly when he got properly distracted by their banner. This was different. Annoyed, maybe?

“Miss Ritchi. You did not get to feel the wrath of my laser last time, so you will have to manage your fear a second time,” Megamind shot back, raising his head. But the words didn’t quite hit the right notes, causing her to tilt her head at him. She’d only just arrived, but this wasn’t right.

“I thought you were supposed to be a genius. Surely you can do a little creativity,” she teased, trying to get him up to his normal mood. He might be a bit scary normally, but she liked this even less. Megamind wasn’t supposed to have slumps. It didn’t suit him at all. She didn’t like it at all.

The alien frowned and shoved himself out of his feet, stalking towards him. “And what would you suggest? I am all ears,” he asked. This close, she could finally pin it down, even as she leaned back slightly in her seat.

Frustration.

Minion seemed to hover closer when Megamind closed the distance between them, keeping a close eye on the both of them. “Sir…” he interrupted quietly, warning. It was probably the only time she had seen Minion take control of the situation at hand, though he did it in a quiet way. Not telling Megamind he was wrong but reminding him to behave. Who would have thought villains had good behavior?

Megamind froze before drawing himself up to full height and huffing away, hands folding behind his back as he paced his lair.

“I’m afraid I don’t dabble in evil schemes. If you’re not actually going to go through with a plot, I would like to get home. I have work to do, Megamind,” Roxanne said, eyes following his movements.

He snorted in response, gaze flicking towards her. “No, you don’t. Not for your job, anyways. Your day was over when we picked you up,” he retorted, correctly, bringing her up short of continuing her taunts. He sighed and finally waved a hand at Minion, turning away. Minion moved to her side as he carefully undid her bonds while the laser was raised, leaving her in shock.

Minion seemed to take his time, even as she felt them loosen. “Sir is in a slump again, Miss Ritchi. And… I believe he was hoping kidnapping would alleviate this,” he explained quietly before pulling away. She could feel the way Megamind glared though, not at her but at Minion.

“Minion! Do you always have to tell her my plans?” he grumbled as he continued to pace.

She carefully brought her wrists up to rub at them, glancing between the two as Minion seemed to head back towards what she had mostly figured out was the kitchen area. It was hard to pinpoint the exact set up of this place since she saw so little of it. “So now what? Is this you actually letting me go home?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Megamind shook his head. “Perhaps in a while. You couldn’t get out of here without help though,” he said simply. “What do you do when you are bored? How do you fill the space?” His hands waved slightly, seemingly unsure what do. 

But… He was asking her for advice, and then likely he was letting her go. She never thought she’d see the day. She’d actually never thought of such a day at all. It took her a moment to respond, shifting slightly as Minion returned with a tray of cookies for not only Megamind but also offering one to her. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking one as she watched Megamind sink into his chair again, seeming to lose his energy now that he knew he wasn’t putting on a show for anything. Something she’d seen Wayne do countless times but had never quite put together as something Megamind would do.

“Well. I rather like to read, if I haven’t been doing a lot of that for work lately. Otherwise, I’m a huge fan of puzzles,” she finally offered, waiting to see him take a bit of the cookie before she followed suit. Never could be too careful. More surprisingly, they were delicious. Who knew a fish could bake? “Or work on things that I’ve been meaning to do. You know, the less fun things on your to-do list? Rearranging my apartment has happened on occasion, as well. Usually when I can’t sleep, and I’m bored.” 

Megamind nodded slightly, propping his feet up on the arm of the chair and listening to her. “I’ve tried some of those, but nothing seems to work,” he muttered, loud enough for her to hear. The annoyance practically dripped off of him as he took another bite of his cookie. “Anything else?”

Roxanne smiled slightly, amused, and shrugged. “I’m always a fan of hot chocolate and a walk as well. Especially if it’s nighttime. I love the stars. I used to try to chart them as a challenge when I really couldn’t find anything to do,” she explained. Astrology in general had been an interest of hers. Maybe that was why she ended up covering the two aliens in town. “Now, I find it fun to challenge myself to take a good picture from of something from the worst possible perspective. Take the things I enjoy and go back to the beginning, basically.”

He glanced at her curiously at the mention of stars, eyebrows knitting together a bit. Heaven only knew what made him pull a face like that. Maybe she’d be brave enough to ask him one day. It might not be so far off, he was surprisingly easy to get along with sometimes. “I’ll consider that, Miss Ritchi,” he finally murmured and glanced up at the ceiling, leaving her to look about as she pleased for once. “Minion will take you home when you’re done eating.”

There was papers scattered behind him, and she could see the occasional wire or tool on the floor towards a curtained off area. Chaotic, rather like his current mood. How long had he been like this?

True to his word, Minion did just that. Though she did have to wrinkle her nose when he put the bag back over her head and her hands were tied again so she couldn’t just take it off. She couldn’t say she was surprised. They couldn’t let her know where they stayed.

“Thank you for talking to Sir a bit, Miss Ritchi,” Minion said when they were finally settled in the car on the drive home, though the bag was still over her head. “I wasn’t quite sure what to tell him. He thought kidnapping you might alleviate some of his boredom.”

She paused, head turning towards him even if she couldn’t see. The two’s relationship truly baffled her. “Glad I could help? I’m not sure a bored Megamind is something any of us want around Metro City,” she said honestly. It might be worse than anything he had come up with so far when he seemed so easily annoyed by it.  
Minion laughed quietly. “I suppose you have a point. Though, it can be where some of his more interesting ideas come from,” he answered simply.

She couldn’t get much more from him, and she found herself untied and able to see about twenty minutes later at the door to her apartment building. “Well. Thank you for the ride, Minion,” she said simply, brushing herself as she climbed out. Only to freeze as she glanced at where the car should be, seeing sidewalk instead. Minion merely laughed as he reached over to close the door. No wonder she never saw them coming! The car was invisible!

She could hear the engine drive away before she finally went inside, closing and locking the door behind her as her mind raced, like it often did when she got home from a kidnapping. It was incredibly odd though to be coming in through her front door rather than her balcony.

She managed to go about her routine though, starting a cup of coffee instead of hot chocolate despite the fact that she was trying to cut down on her caffeine. It just made her feel better, and she didn’t need anything quite so sweet after the cookie. Megamind was bored. Rather regularly if Minion was anything to go by.

For a moment, she had to wonder what he would be like if he found an actual challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I'm glad so many people have enjoyed it so far :)
> 
> The next chapter is coming in a few days.


	4. Loyal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loyal wasn’t surprising. Not with henchman like Minion that followed Megamind around. She merely hadn’t realized how far it extended.

Loyal wasn’t surprising. Not with henchman like Minion that followed Megamind around. She merely hadn’t realized how far it extended.

About the time they’d gotten rid of her frequent kidnapping card. Because they realized they’d have to follow through on it. (She had a hunch they didn’t know what she’d get with it, but they’d never discussed it).

She’d been dangling in another precarious situation, over the alligator pit this time. Which, funnily enough, she noticed had a few stuffed toys at the bottom to chew on. Cute. He actually took care of them when he wasn’t falsely threatening to throw her to them. Like Pets… She had laughed.

“Miss Ritchi! You know they will be happy to take a bit of you, and you are laughing!” Megamind snapped as he whirled away from explaining his most recent plot to her, looking thoroughly put out. And confused. She had interrupted his performance! She usually let him get through his monologue before interrupting him!

She had struggled to get her face under control, hands grabbing onto the pole for balance that he had given her. “You should… You should get rid of the toys if you are going to show people this,” she managed with a grin.

It was also the day she found out he flushed a deep purple color when embarrassed as he had glance down in the pit to spot what she was talking about.

“Minion!”

The sharp, quiet words between Minion and his boss were quickly exchanged, but he had gone down there without fear to grab the toys. The alligators hadn’t responded like she had been worried they would at first. She couldn’t be sure why because Megamind had started talking again, though it didn’t appear to be directed at her. Something about his Uncle Charles suggesting that made sure his pets had proper enrichment.

“Uncle?” she asked in surprise, still smiling as her head tilted, curious. She didn’t know he had family.

The way his eyes widened when he glanced up was a sure sign he had forgotten she was there for a moment. Not a first. He had always been a bit easily distracted. “Well. Yes. Uncle. I have many of them, Miss Ritchi,” he answered carefully, big head tipping just a bit to the side as he seemed to debate what to say. “In the prison.”  
Her smile had slipped then. Slowly fading as she tried to piece it together. He had family in the prison? She didn’t know of any others in the prison that looked like him. That would have made the news.

But he kept talking.

“They taught me much of what I know, of course. Uncle Charles says you take care of your pets. So I would appreckiate if you did not laugh at the matter,” he said, voice gaining a sharp note towards the end, almost like he was insulted. Protective, perhaps. “My Uncles are not people to laugh at.”

She finally found her words again. “I just wasn’t aware you had family. I wasn’t trying to laugh at them,” she offered awkwardly, trying to figure out just how she had managed to turn this on her so quickly. He had kidnapped her after all! It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know things about him. He was a supervillain, after all.  
Megamind snorted loudly in response. “And yet you’ve never questioned the Metro Mahn has a family,” he snapped, stepping closer to the pit, the door closing as Minion left the pit below. “He is just as alien as me, Miss Ritchi. You’ve even met some of mine! You’ve met Minion! Yet you cannot fathom that I have family?”  
The anger in his eyes had shocked her. The comparison to Wayne. She froze as she met his gaze, processing that.

And he was right.

She had always thought Minion was just a well-liked henchman… But he called him family. He had uncles in prison. She let out a breath as he whirled away, hand gripping the pole on her little platform, unsure what to say for a long moment. Apologizing probably wouldn’t go over wonderfully, but she had to say something. “I didn’t even realize. I am glad you have a family then,” she finally offered awkwardly, unsure how a kidnapping had turned into her feeling bad for insulting the supervillain that terrorized her city.

If this was how he was willing to react over even a small slight against his apparently family… She couldn’t imagine what he would do if they were actually attacked. Her words seemed to placate him though because he huffed and turned away to go talk to Minion for a minute.

He returned in full force, having settled down as much as a man like Megamind ever seemed to settle down. The curiosity didn’t leave her though.

Wayne ‘rescued’ her, as always. She was set down on her balcony that night with a careful glance over to make sure she was alright. She had had to shoo him off, telling Wayne that she would make herself a cup of hot chocolate if he would get off her balcony.

Roxanne spent that night settled at her computer on the couch, looking up those that Megamind might know, specifically his ‘Uncle Charles’. It took hours for her to find anything, having to go back to articles from when she was young. Articles that weren’t completely digitized yet, though she could find them through the work database. They just weren’t well organized.

The only person she found that might fit that was a man that had been put away before Megamind was assumed to have arrived on earth. Charles Fitzgerald had been a major drug dealer from the poorer part of town. And there was a picture of him and a young Megamind. 

Just one. But she could see that the inmates had adopted him in article from many years ago… Minion was in it too, in a little ball, in their yard.  
His family. Megamind’s family was these prisoners and Minion. People he refused to leave behind and still took their thoughts and opinion seriously. People he obviously cared about.

A truly loyal man, apparently. It was… sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two middle chapters were probably the hardest for me to write, though I enjoy both of them greatly. Hope you like them too!


	5. Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lonely… Lonely had floored her.
> 
> And she should have seen it sooner.

Lonely… Lonely had floored her.

And she should have seen it sooner.

Just the times where he would linger beside her after she was kidnapped, before the screens would go on, and he would talk. About prison, about her life. Things he would remember later, shockingly enough. The time he asked her how to manage his boredom. (That one should have given it away, but she’d been a bit more impressed with his theatrics back then). It was never just what she saw when others were kidnapped by other villains. She never quite put it together that he might be lonely.

She had gone for an interview at the prison, curious to speak with her long-time captor in a different setting for once. To see where he had apparently grown up and still spent a lot of his time. Besides, she needed a story, and he might actually talk to her unlike so many others.

What she hadn’t expected to find was a bright room that looked like it was set up for almost a child. It was still a cell, but it was also… bright. With a rainbow and everything.

She hated it.

It was a reminder that he had always been here. She wasn’t certain why they had kept him in the prison as a child, but this just looked cruel. On top of the fact that he was a grown man being kept in his childhood bedroom. She hadn’t expected such an intense feeling of disgust, but maybe she had never considered what it meant to grow up in the prison before. Seeing this room, she did. Seeing him alone in a bright, rainbow covered cell made it real.

“You have a visitor, Megamind,” the Warden said as he stepped away to allow her up to the window. Megamind hadn’t turned around yet as the Warden glanced at her. She quickly schooled her features to not show her disgust with this… solitary confinement. “I trust I don’t have to warn you about not letting him trick you into getting out. Best of luck, Miss Ritchi. Call for any of the guards if you need anything and when you are ready to leave.” The Warden nodded before turning to walk back down the hallway.

She could see the way Megamind sat up a bit more at the sound of her name, whirling around the moment the Warden was out of earshot. The orange he wore clashed awfully with his skin. No wonder he always wore black and blue.

“Miss Ritchi?” he asked, head tilting a bit to the side as he looked her over. “I did not know you came down to the prison.”

She stepped up to the glass and shrugged slightly. “Sometimes for interviews. And since it’s a slower week, I figured this would be a good time to finally interview Metro City’s supervillain. Get a bit of his story,” she said with a shrug, offering a small smile. She was curious about him, to say the least, and he knew she could keep a secret at this point if he wanted her to. She hadn’t told anyone about him running a criminal empire, after all.

Megamind blinked, seeming a bit surprised at the idea. Like it might not have occurred to him someone might want to know his story. “Oh. You want to know my background then?” he clarified, eyebrows knitting a bit together as he leaned forward a bit, intrigued.

“Exactly! A bit like a profile, basically. Get to know the man behind all the spikes and leather,” she teased lightly. Though, this would have been nicer over coffee. At least that way they weren’t on opposite sides of the glass. Or with some of Minion’s cookies, maybe. Where was Minion, anyways?

Megamind smirked slightly at that, though he seemed to be a bit stiff as he crossed his legs and waved a hand at her. “Go ahead then, Miss Ritchi. Ask away,” he said simply.

Roxanne smiled and pulled over a chair, settling down with her notebook and a pen. Better not to have a recorder with her today, and it would make him feel more at ease she hoped. After all, they could control what would be written down and what would remain between them without other people noticing. “We’ll start easy,” she promised as she flipped to a blank page. Lead him into it. If he was like others, he would keep talking once he relaxed. “Where are you from? What brought you to Earth?”

“Do you all not know that already?” he asked, head tilting a bit. Maybe it was the outfit that made this feel so odd. Orange was truly wrong. “I come from the same system as Metro Mahn. Our planets were near each other when the black hole sucked them in. My parents sent me off eight days after I was born. I know, a bit slacking on my part to still rely on them at that age. But Minion and I came here to survive that, obviously”

He said it so nonchalantly, she had to search for words for a minute as she looked at him. He was the only one left? “I had no idea,” she murmured as she glanced down to write it down, forcing herself to go on. She knew about Wayne, but him too. Hell. “So, it’s just you and Minion? Where is he today?”

Megamind shrugged, brushing off the whole issue like it was old news. “Yep. Just me and Minion. Always has been,” he explained. He glanced at her like she had asked an idiotic question. “Minion doesn’t get arrested, Miss Ritchi. He’s too animal like to be brought back here by the police. And I refuse to let him end up in one of your barbaric ‘animal shelters’. Better to be here alone.” He turned away slightly, staring at the wall as he spoke. It sounded understandably bitter. “He’s probably cleaning. Or taking care of the lair. Any number of things.”

They’d put him in an animal shelter? Or somewhere else that Minion obviously didn’t belong? That was cruel. To make them separate when they were the only ones left from their planet.

She couldn’t imagine coming back here and being alone at the end of the day.

“Right,” she finally murmured, making a few notes. She wouldn’t forget that though. That they treated such a sentient being like a normal pet. Like he didn’t matter. She needed something a bit lighter. Something that might get him going. She didn’t want to make this cell worse than it already was by leaving him brooding over Minion. “What made you decide to be a supervillain?”

His gaze snapped to her before his smile turned towards what she considered his signature grin. It wasn’t quite as full as when he was in the middle of a scheme, but it was close. “I was awful at being good, Miss Ritchi. Can you imagine? Shhool made that clear to me, and I could not be on the same side as Metro Mahn,” he said with a grin. His mispronunciations. She always wondered where they came from. Surely, he had heard people say things like school? 

“And my parents told me I was destined for something before I left. I figured, I was destined to be evil. It feels proper. No one appreciated a good genius, especially when an experiment went wrong, and I am too smart to let that be wasted on a simple mistake. Villainy brings acklaim. So I took the role of villain of Metrocity. Afterall, there’s not a decent alternative around here,” he answered, resting his cheek against his hand as he watched her.

No one appreciated a good genius.

The words echoed in her head. So much of him seemed to revolve around being alone. “You became ‘evil’ at such a young age? No child is evil, Megamind,” she commented quietly as she wrote, shaking her head.

Megamind snorted in response. “No? You should tell that to your boyfriend. He was incredibly intent on making sure everyone knew it,” he retorted, repeating the rumor that they still let float around. It was easier than explaining they were just friends and ignoring why Megamind had such an interest in her. Probably better to let that keep floating in case the guards heard her. “I supposed I decided though when they could not appreciate my attempt at popped corn. I only lit a few things on fire. They were so upset!” He seemed to laugh, but that smile was fading when she looked up. She would have to ask Wayne later since they went to school together apparently. She could picture him accidentally setting something on fire. 

Maybe that was why he was so careful…

“I stand by the fact that no child is evil,” Roxanne responded calmly. She wanted to ask the personal questions. What it was like growing up. What school was like for a young man going through everything. How he had dealt with losing his family. Things she knew were probably off limits. “So you returned to the prison? What was growing up here like?”

Megamind snorted. “I never left the Prison, Miss Ritchi. This was still my home, even while at shhool,” he said simply, waving a hand. They had never placed him in a family. “My uncles took great care of me though. Made sure I had access to the library, let me sit in on their degree programs whenever I was interested. Taught me the way of the world and all. Uncle Zion taught Minion how to bake, actually. He never could get it to stick with me. They come from all backgrounds. I had a rich edewcation from them. Uncle Xavier still bring me books when he gets the chance. He used to be an engineer. Taught me the basics of what I know now.”

She blinked before nodding as she made notes, especially of the names. She wanted to see who these people were later. Still, no friends besides Minion. And only ‘Uncle Xavier’ seemed to still talk to him. Though, she wasn’t sure if that was by choice since he was so isolated down this way. “What else do you do then? When you’re here,” she asked, motioning to the cell.

He sighed and shook his head. “You see everything I have at my disposal outside of my bed things,” he said, motioning to the cell in return. And she looked, taking it in again. There was only the chair and the TV. “Exercise. Watch teleeevishion. The occasional book when I am allowed to have things. It is rather dull. Though I enjoy your broadcasts.”

He watched her broadcasts? That was… unexpectedly sweet. “You don’t get to go outside for exercise?”

He shook his head again, rolling his eyes. “Rarely. They know far too well how easy it is for me to escape with very little,” he said simply. Like it was more a nuisance. But that meant… He never saw anyone besides the guards and the Warden. Except occasionally his Uncle Xavier.

Who knew how often that was.

“I see,” she murmured, making a note to look into that. That was far beyond inhumane of them. Solitary confinement wasn’t right no matter who they were trying to keep in their walls. She pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment before pushing on. Interview. She was interviewing him. “And what do you do for fun when you aren’t here?”

“That would be telling, now wouldn’t it?” he said, a teasing note entering his voice. Oh, right. He couldn’t tell her everything because then they’d be able to find him. Damn “I like to work on my brainbots though. My pack is wonderful. Invent, of course. I have an interest in astronomy as well.”

She remembered those. They brought him things sometimes. He treated them a bit like pets and a bit like what she thought what henchmen were supposed to be.  
Their conversation continued for quite a while longer as she went through some more basic information and taking notes, leaving her to ponder just how much they missed out on him. How much he kept to himself because he couldn’t trust people as a supervillain and how much was him just being alone. It was eye opening, to say the least. And it left her several things to follow up on once she left, like the prison’s solitary confinement rules.

She gathered her things up over an hour later, glancing over her notes as she made sure that she had everything. “It was wonderful talking to you, Megamind. I appreciate you being so open with me,” she said as she stood, offering him a bright smile. It had been fascinating, to say the least.

He leaned back in his chair a bit, giving her a small, almost sad smile in return, watching her gather her things. “Come back anytime, Miss Ritchi. You break up the monotony here,” he murmured with a nod.

She blinked, looking at him for a moment and then nodding. “Of course. You’ll have to come up with a story for me though if you want it to be a work trip though,” she warned. “But I’ll come visit either way.” Because he seemed rather sad about being left along again. Even if she hated seeing him in this room, she couldn’t just say no.

“Good. I look forward to it,” he said quietly as she walked away.

The Warden met her on the way out, asking her if it had gone alright and if he had behaved. She couldn’t help the bit of cold shoulder she gave him on the way out, praising Megamind’s behavior and manners. Which was when she was reminded that he didn’t give everyone polite behavior like she got all the time by the surprised look on his face. Though, she was now certain it was because she never expected more than she knew he was. Megamind was a villain, but she couldn’t say she thought he was bad. Not when she saw the look on his face when she had turned to leave.

And. Well. She really should have realized he was a lonely man sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left! (I want y'all to know I almost didn't catch the typo calling astronomy astrology)


	6. And One Last Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And well... Sometimes it takes the longest to learn about yourself.

The last thing Miss Ritchi realized was about herself. Which might have been why it took the longest.

She wasn’t really sure when it happened, she realized after that last battle with Hal. Who she couldn’t believe had been made into a super hero. She wasn’t surprised it had gone incredibly wrong. Hal was never meant to be a good guy. Annoying at best.

She had invited him back to her apartment after he got Minion all patched up and back into a functioning suit. Give them bother time to gather themselves after that. The fact they had all made it through… that was incredible. She had been more than certain she was going to die by the end of it. Instead, she had eventually made her way home and kicked off her shoes at the door with a sigh.

Today was a coffee day, not hot chocolate. She needed that bite to her drink right now, and liquor wasn’t a good idea when she knew Megamind would be here eventually.

Which was how she found herself leaning back into her couch, looking at all of the papers (that she hadn’t had time to take down yet) from trying to figure out what Megamind had been up to with Bern- Megamind. She snorted quietly in amusement, taking a sip of her coffee. Brilliant. A pain in her ass, but still brilliant. And he chose that moment to appear on her balcony.

She glanced up in surprise as she heard a tap on the glass before getting up to let him in, offering an awkward smile. “You probably could have walked. Everyone things you’re a hero now,” she teased lightly. “Do you want some coffee? I’ve got enough for another cup.” Or she’d drink it herself. She wasn’t picky. Couldn’t let coffee go to waste.

Megamind blinked in surprise stepping inside and glancing around curiously. “I guess that will take some getting used to. I normally can’t walk anywhere,” he murmured, half to himself. That didn’t surprise her since she never really saw him out and about. “Yes. I’d take a cup.”

“That might not change too much. Wayne rarely knocked on my door either,” she said with a chuckle as she went to pour him a cup, watching him out of the corner of her eye. The way he took in their research on what Megamind was up to, occasionally turning a piece of paper over. Or the way he examined her apartment more generally. It had been almost easy to forget that he had only been in here the one time he was asking for help. He’d never gotten the chance to look around. 

“You’ll have to add your own milk and sugar,” she said, setting the mug down on the counter.

That appeared to snap him out of it, moving to fix it the way he liked. With far too much sugar in her opinion, but she liked her coffee with one pack of sugar and no milk.

“I’m rather impressed with how well you laid this out,” he commented as he took a sip from his mug, though he appeared more focused on her now that he had actually taken in the surroundings… “I hadn’t expected anyone to get the full picture, actually.”

She chuckled quietly and shrugged. “I can keep up with you, you know. On occasion,” she commented. “I spent a lot of hours putting that together. Admittedly, I had help.”

Megamind paused, tilting his head a bit at her, like he didn’t quite understand what she meant. “I had no doubt you could keep up with me, Miss Ritchi. I would not have worked with you if I thought otherwise,” he answered earnestly. “Even with my help, I certainly did not do this for you. Or even a substantial portion.” He waved his hand towards her papers. He must have seen the spelling on the way in.

The pride that swelled up at that couldn’t be helped. Even though she already knew what he thought of her. He’d made it clear. “Well, I followed the trail you left me,” she said, leaning slightly against the counter. “And I do this for a living. Research and following your plans.”

That pulled a smile out of him. “Well, let me help you clean this project up then. Might as well put an end to all of it,” he offered.

Roxanne grinned and nodded, pushing herself to her feet and stepping away, leaving him in the living room for a minute. Because she trusted him not to mess her place up, though she would have trusted him before. He was surprising respectful for a former-supervillain. She hoped it stuck with his new hero status. She came back a moment later with a couple of folders tucked under her arm.

She found him leaning against the counter, sipping coffee. 

And for a moment, he belonged there. Like he had always been there, helping her clean up a long research project again in dark jeans and a t-shirt. Like there was nothing new about their world at all. Where he looked up and smiled when she entered a room.

She held out a folder after a moment, shaking herself to the present. “Let’s get to work. Try to keep everything in order,” she said with a grin.

Which was how they spent the next several hours cleaning her apartment from this mess. It was light, and she loved every minute of it. Megamind seemed more than happy to talk, though he sometimes took a bit of prompting. Probably because he wasn’t used to actual socialization from what she had gathered. But, they fell back into their dynamic of when she had thought he was Bernard. He was still just. Him.

A bit of an awkward man, but friendly and loyal. Brilliant. Careful. Many of the things she had loved about Bernard. It was sweet, and just what she needed.

Time to relax and have things feel incredibly normal for a few hours.

They found themselves at the end of the night out on the balcony, looking at the stars. Like she had often done with Wayne before, though this felt different. Not like she was standing outside with a sibling. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

They had switched to hot chocolate, something warm and sweet to end an incredibly long day on. It fit her mood anyways. A pleasant fuzziness around the edges, if she had to describe it. Like something had finally fall into place in her life. A piece she hadn’t known was missing.

“May I ask if we are friends now then, Miss Ritchi?” he asked, glancing up to meet her gaze as he wrapped his hands around his mug carefully. Like he might not be ready for her to answer. While she was used to seeing Bernard look a bit vulnerable, she wasn’t quite used to that look on Megamind’s face. 

She paused, looking at him for a moment as she tried to find the words for what they were. And what she might want them to be. She set her mug down on the ledge before stepping forward, leaning up slightly to kiss him on the cheek before stepping back with a grin. “I think that would be a good place to start,” she said gently as he flushed, eyes widening in shock.

It had happened long before he had pretended to be Bernard or become a good guy.

Maybe she should have realized she had fallen in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finished my law school finals, and I have finished this fic! Hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!  
> (My word doc says 10,000 words, but I doubt I'm going to get anything that exact here)


End file.
